Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Saffron Parfait with Pistachios

A couple of weeks ago my oven broke irreparably and I had not been able to bake anything before the new one arrived just this week. This also meant that I could not bake any cakes. Luckily, I have many recipes for the desserts that are not cakes but can be served cold. I tried a couple of them instead as I can hardly live without any dessert.

I read recently a lot about desserts made with saffron. They usually come from the Middle Eastern or Mediterranean cuisine. Saffron adds beautiful color to desserts and also has this nice mysterious flavor which makes the dessert taste even more interesting.

The dessert that I made recently is most of all very easy to make. Since it is frozen it can be prepared ahead. It can be a great finale to any spicy or grilled dinner, especially on a warm day like we had for the first time this year.

Preparation:
1. Put the saffron in milk and heat in a small pan until it nearly boils. Set aside to cool, then drain on a sieve.
2. Beat the egg yolks and sugar with an electric mixer until sugar dissolves and the mixture becomes pale. Pour in the saffron milk to the yolks mixture and heat without letting it boil. A mixture should be thick enough to coat a wooden spoon.

3. Pour the mixture in a bowl and let it cool to room temperature.
4. Whip half and half until almost stiff. Fold in gently the saffron mixture and pistachios. Divide between small bowls and put in a freezer for 8 hours.

Translate

Welcome to Pots and Frills. I was inspired to start this blog by friends, who are often asking for my recipes. To every "How do you make it?" I will now be able to answer "Go to my blog and find out". I will be giving away my own cookbook as I will be writing it, including my tips, my secrets, and my best ideas that work not only for the advanced cooks but also for those who need help in the culinary world. I hope you'll find my dishes simple to make but sophisticated in taste, original, and alluring in presentation.
Some of these recipes are my own inventions but, more often, I have just added my personal twist to something already familiar. These recipes come from all over the world: my native country Poland, other European countries I used to live in, and from the US where I have been living since 1996. I hope you find these recipes worth trying. I believe they will make your life easier but, at the same time, more exciting and tasty.
I also hope you will enjoy the short stories attached to some of my recipes and I encourage you to participate from time to time in my culinary journey on this blog and share your impressions.
Bogna